Fate
by Gravity-Chan
Summary: Sometimes fate has an odd way of showing itself. Nalu One-Shot inspired by Fairy Tail end theme 15.


**A one-shot inspired by Fairy Tail Ending 15. If you haven't seen it yet, go watch it.**

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Do you believe in fate? That everything that has ever happened or ever will happen happened for a reason? That there are two people who are destined to be with each other? Well, I do. That's how I felt when mother died. She died because she was needed somewhere else.

I sighed as I sat at the table of the café he said to meet at. I frowned as I scrolled through a list of emails on my phone, resting my head on my hand and leaning my elbow on the table with a bored expression on his face. He was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago. Frowning deeper, I opened up my messaging app and sent him a text.

"Where are you?"

I turned off my phone and flipped it over, smiling faintly at the three cat ornaments that hung from the case. I had always loved them, from the moment I spotted them in the store.

If I glanced over my shoulder, I could see the ocean. I sighed softly as I stared out at the waves, only looking away when my phone buzzed, signalling his reply. I picked up the phone and checked the message.

"Something came up. Sorry, Lucy."

I sighed heavily. My boyfriend, Dan, had apparently been quite busy lately. I rested my head on the table and silently watched the other people milling around the café, enjoying the outdoor scenery. My eyes lingered on one couple in particular, a red-haired boy and a dark-haired girl. My eyebrows furrowed; the guy looked awfully familiar. It took a long time to realize that it was Dan with the girl.

All at once I felt my heart shatter. He ditched me for another woman. I felt tears prick my eyes and I stood up hastily, jogging down the long staircase that led from the café's patio to the ground below. I ran towards the ocean, tears spilling from my eyes. Why me? Why was it always me? I tried to remind myself of fate, that there was a reason, but I couldn't think of one. He could have at least told me in person, or broken up with me beforehand.

I ran the back of my hand across my eyes, clearing away the tears, and slowed as I felt the sand under my boots. I climbed onto a rock and stared out at the ocean, so beautiful yet with so many dangerous things lurking inside. I sniffed and wiped away my tears again. Maybe I should just go home, give up. I sighed and shuffled down the beach, the sand becoming dirt as I reached the forest path that led in the direction of home. Home, where I could wallow without being seen. I stared at the ground in front of me, kicking a pine cone and watching it roll down the path. Fate was cruel, and I was starting to lose faith in it quickly.

I glanced up once when a flash of color caught my eye. I blinked when I spotted a boy, his odd pink hair done up in a spiky fashion. A white scarf was wrapped around his neck, which was confusing, given the current summer heat. As he walked past me, our eyes met. His were dark, the color of charcoal, and they looked back at mine thoughtfully.

Something tugged at me. I don't know what, but before I could act on my feelings, the boy approached me. He looked my age, though he was several inches taller than me. He frowned at me. "Are you alright? You look like you've been crying," he commented.

I blinked, forcing myself to calm down. I looked down at my feet. "I'm alright," I answered, not wanted to bother a kind stranger.

The boy's frow deepened and his eyebrows furrowed in concern. "You don't look alright," he said, then his face lit up. "I know! Let's go to that café that just opened up! Food always cheers me up when I feel sad." he grabbed my wrist and started to pull me back the way I'd come.

My heart rate sped up at his mention of the café. I knew Dan would be there, and that was sure to cause problems. "Wait!" I cried. The pink-haired boy turned back to look at me. "I don't think I should be going places with people I just met! I don't even know your name!"

The boy paused and turned to look at me. "Well if you wanted to know my name, you could have just asked," he said with an amused look. "My name is Natsu! What's yours?"

I blinked at Natsu disbelievingly. Who was this guy? "Erm, Lucy," I replied.

Natsu grinned at me. He seemed like quite the outgoing guy. "Nice to meet you, Luce!" he said enthusiastically. Luce? What was that, some kind of nickname?

Before I could respond, Natsu was dragging me by the arm towards the café. I went along with him for now, figuring if we just went to the café it would be public enough that he wouldn't try anything. Plus, he seemed like a pretty good kid, and I could use a distraction from my current problems. I let Natsu pull me back up the stairs, and we took a table near the edge of the patio.

At first, it was awkward. After all, I'd just met the guy. But he was surprisingly fun to talk to, and he made me laugh. I learned a lot about Natsu over the course of our lunch. I learned that he loved spicy foods, and he had a huge appetite. I also learned that he went to the same school as me, Fairy Academy. I learned he was adopted my his father, and his mother had an adopted child as well when the two married. He had quite the complicated family in terms of relations.

"How come you were so sad earlier?" Natsu asked after a while. The smile I'd had previously disappeared. "I could tell you were crying. Did something happen?"

I looked down at the table, contemplating whether or not to tell him. "Well, I found out my boyfriend is cheating on me," I answered softly. "I guess I should say my ex-boyfriend." I smiled bitterly at the table before looking back at Natsu. He looked ready to flip a table.

Natsu scowled distastefully. "That's stupid," he exclaimed. "Why would someone do that! Who is this guy?"

"Natsu, it's fine," I said quickly, trying to calm him down. "Really. I'll be fine."

Natsu still looked angry, but he relented, crossing his arms and sighing. "Alright. I just don't get why someone would want to cheat on you. You're a great girl," he said.

I blushed at the comment. How could he say that after such a short time together? We'd only been here for about an hour or so. I glanced up at him, linking my fingers together and resting my chin on my hands. "Can I... see you again?" I asked suddenly, so suddenly I took myself by surprise.

"Of course!" Natsu replied immediately, a wide grin on his face. Hr paused for a moment, looking thoughtful, then he smiled and pulled something out of his pocket. "Here," he said, holding it out. I gasped; it was a silver key-chain in the shape of what looked like a fairy.

I reached out tentatively, and Natsu dropped the object into my hand. It was small and fit into my palm, and I brushed my thumb over its flat surface. "Are you sure?" I asked, glancing up at Natsu.

He nodded. "To remind you to look for me," he said with a grin. "Then you can find me at school."

That's when the last puzzle piece clicked into place. Dan's cheating happened for a reason, and that reason was so I could meet Natsu. A broad smile tugged at my lips. Yes, fate had an odd way of showing itself, but everything made sense in the end.


End file.
